Automatic switch for controlling lights.



L. A. MEYERS. AUTOMATIC SWITCH FOR CONTRdLLING LIGHTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14. 1914.

msmmm Patented M1213, 1915.

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LOUIS A. MEYERS,

0F SAUK CENTER, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH FOR CONTRQLLING LIGHTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13, 19115..

Application filed March 14, 1914. Serial No. 824,636.

To all 1071 0m it may, concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs A. MEYERS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sauk Center, in the county of Stearns and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Switches for Controlling Lights, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to automatic switches for controlling lights, andhas for its object to provide a switch which shall control the circuitof an electric lamp situated in the basement or closet.

It is the object of my invention to provide means for automaticallybreaking the lamp circuit when the door is closed and closing thecircuit to cause the lamp to operate when the door is open.

It is a further object of my invention to provide means which willprevent the closing of the door from disconnecting the circuit when itis desired to have the lamp continue to burn when the door is closed;and yet which, after a subsequent opening of the door, will be renderedinoperative so that when the door is again closed the light will beextinguished.

It is a further object of my invention to provide means for cutting thelamp out of operation entirely so that when the door is left open thelight will not be burning, as in the daytime or at other times when itis desired to leave the door open and have the light turned off.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear inconnection with the detailed description thereof and are particularlypointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, illustrating the application of my invention in oneform, Figure 1 is a plan view of my apparatus showing the door open whenthe parts are in normal position. Fig. 2 is a similar view when the dooris closed, showing the manner of breaking the circuit. Fig. 3 is a viewwith the door open when the mechanism has been operated and set so as toprevent breaking oi the circuit when the door is closed. Fig. 4 is asimilar view showing the door closed with the lights on, and the partspositioned so that when the door is opened again all the parts willreturn to normal position and another closing of the door will break thecircuit and extinguish the light.

As illustrated, there is shown a plate 10 having walls 11 and a cover 12which is shown broken away or removed in all of the figures. The plate10, walls 11 and cover 12 comprise a casing to be secured to the wall ofa building in which the switch mechanism is housed. A pivot post 13 isrigidly secured to the plate 10 and has pivotally mounted thereon apiece 14. The piece 14 has secured to one side thereof a pair of springcontacts 15, 16 insulated from one another in the usual way andconnected with wires 17, 18 in a lamp circuit. The spring 15 is longerthan the spring 16 and normally engages a pusher 19 on the end of a rod20 mounted to slide in guides 21, 22 on the plate 10. The rod 20, asclearly indicated, extends through an aperture or slot in a wall 11 andhas at its extended end a buffer head 23 adapted to be engaged by theinner side 24 of the door. The spring 16 is provided with a contactpoint 25, while the spring 15 has a complemental contact socket 26. Thespring 16 is so positioned relative to spring 15 and pusher rod 19 thatthe contacts 25 and 26 will normally be in engagement whenever thespring 15 is free to move the piece 14 or when the rod 20 will permitthe springs to take their maximum movement for projecting the pusher rod23, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. This takes place, of course, wheneverthe door is open. When the door is closed the action of the pusher rod20. by reason of the engagement ofthe head 23 by the door, will movespring 15 and cause the same to bend, as indicated in Fig. 2, so as tobreak the engagement of the contacts 25, 26 unless the piece 14 is freeto move on its pivot 13 under the influence of spring 15. Movement ofpiece 14 is normally restrained by a latch 27 engaging in a notch 28 onpiece 14. The latch 27 has pivoted thereto a push rod 29 which extendsthrough the lower side wall 11 and has a thumb piece 30 on the headthereof.

A spring 31 surrounding the push rod 29 between a shoulder 32 thereonand a fixed guide 33 on the plate 10 operates normally to swing thelatch on its pivot 34 so as to cause the same to enter the notch 28. Aspring 35, secured at its respective ends to the piece 14 and the plate10, operates to hold the spring 15 in engagement with pusher head 19,but since spring 15 is stronger than spring 35, when the spring 15 isactuated by pusher rod 20 it will rock the piece 14 against the force ofspring 35 1111- less the piece 14 is restrained by the latch 27. Thelatch 27 is provided with a fiat head 36 and a projecting end 37. A"pivoted trigger 38 has a portion thereof surrounding the pusher rod 20and engaged by a spring 39 so as to force said portion against ashoulder 40 on the rod 20, said spring engaging at its other side theguide 22 fast on plate 10. It will be apparent, therefore, that aspusherrod 20 is operated inwardly by closing of'the' door the shoulder40 in opposition to spring 39 will move thefing'er or latch38'away-from-head 37, while when the door opens and rodi'20 is pushedoutwardly by spring 15, thespring 39 will tend tomove the finger 38 inthe opposite. direction. When the latch 27 is normally positioned, thefinger 38 will engage the face-36 and be inoperative. But when, with thedoor open, the latch 27 is swu'ng on its pivotz84, by means of the pushrod 29 the finger-3S will be brought beneath the end 37' of latch-27',as indicated in Fig.3, and the latch will be held out of the n0tch 28;In this: condition,

when the door closesithe piece 14 will rock with the. spring'15 and thecontact will not be brokemas clearly shown in Fi'g. 4i But the shoulder40 on rod 20 will. actuate the latch 38 so as to withdraw the same from.

beneath theend 37, when the'spring 31 will swing the latch so thatitheitoe thereof'will engage the endpie'ce' 14 adjacent notch 28.- When,therefore, the door'is again opened, permittingspringl5 to swinginwardly following pusher head 19 and rod 20, the piece 14 will bereturned to. normal position and the latch 27 will" again drop into thenotch 28,-so that subsequent closing of the door will break theconnection" and extinguish the light, the same as would be the case ifthe pusherrod" 29 had not been operated. But, during the daytime or atother times, it may be undesirable td have the light come: intooperation whenever the door is opened. In basements particularly itWouldbe objectionableto have'the'lights turned on every time thebasement" door is opened during daylight. To obviate-this diliiculty Icarry the cricuit through switch plates 41. and 42 operated by arectangular rotary member 43, having on the end thereof outside of cover12 a thumb'piece 44. By this means the circuit normally extendingthrough the members 15 and 16 controlled by the operating devices abovedescribed maybe broken so that said operating devices will have noefiect'up'on' the light. l

The advantages of my invention .will be apparent. The lighting andextinguishing of the lamp is' so'controlled by the opening andv closing'of'the' door that one. cannot leave the roomdn which'a light has" beenput 1am operation and" closethe' door after him. without "extinguishingtlielight. This is: equally true whether the light is allowed to burnonly while the door is open, or whether the apparatus is operated sothat the light will continue to burn after the door is closed. Thisdevice can be cheaply made, and in stalled as readily as any commonswitch.

I claim:

1. An electric switch comprising circuit breaking members, meanscontrolled by the opening and closing of the door for operating saidmembers to break the circuit when the door is closed and to open thecircuit when the door is opened, means for rendering said operatingmeans inoperative when the door is closed, and means for thereaftercausing said operating means to become operative when the door is againopened.

An electric switch comprising circuit breaking members, a pusher havingone end engaging one of said members and the other end positioned to beengaged by the door, means supporting said members and capable ofmovement therewith when the pusher is actuated by closing of the door,said circuit breaking members being held in contact to keep the circuitclosed when the supporting member is free to move therewith, andcontrollable: means for restraining said supporting member from suchmovement.

3. electric switch comprising circuit breaking members, a pusher havingone end engaging one of said members and the other end positioned to beengaged by the door, means supporting said members and capable ofmovement therewith when the pusher is actuated by closing of the door,said circuit breaking members being held in contact to keep thecircuit'closed when the supporting member is free to move therewith,controllable means for restraining said supporting member from suchmovement, means for rendering said restraining means inoperative, andmeans controlled by closing of the door for. causing said restrainingmeans to become operative when the door is again opened.

4. An electric switch comprising a pair of spring members normally incontact to close an electric circuit, a pusher having one end engagingone of said members and the other end positioned to be engaged by thedoor when the same is closed, a pivoted piece supporting said membersand adapted to be oscillated therewith when the pusher is actuated byclosing of the door, and handcontrolled means for restraining said piecefrom such oscillation.

5.. An electric, switch comprising a pair of spring members normally incontact to close an electric circuit, a' pusher having one end engagingone, of said members and the other end positioned to be engaged by thedoor when the same is closed, a' pivoted piece supporting said members.and adapted to be controlled therewith when the pusher is ac:

tuated by closing of the door, a latch for restraining said piece fromoscillation, a thumb piece to actuate said latch for Withdrawing thesame, and means controlled by movement of the pusher for holding thelatch inoperative.

6. An electric switch comprising a pair of spring members normally incontact to close an electric circuit, a pusher having one end engagingone of said members and the other end positioned to be engaged by thedoor when the same is closed, a pivoted piece supporting said membersand adapted to be controlled therewith when the pusher is actuated byclosing of the door, a latch for restraining said piece fromoscillation,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe a thumb piece to actuate said latch for withdrawing the same, aspring controlled member adapted to engage a portion of the latch andhold the same inoperative when the latch has been actuated by the thumbpiece, and means on the pusher for actuating the spring controlledmember to release the latch when the pusher is actuated by closing ofthe door.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS A. MEYERS.

H; A. BOWMAN.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

